Judges 5:21

Judges 5:21

The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

a. NLT: The Kishon River swept them away—that ancient torrent, the Kishon.
March on with courage, my soul!

b. NIV: The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!

c. Amplified Bible: The torrent Kishon swept [the foe] away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength!

d. Septuagint: The brook Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down.

e. Stone Edition: Tanach: Kison Brook swept them away, the ancient brook, Kishon Brook—but I myself trod it vigorously

1. “The river of Kishon swept them away…”

a. river [5158 * nachal][Strong: from 5157 in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine):--brook, flood, river, stream, valley.]

b. Kishon [7028 * Qiyshown][Strong:  Kishon, a river of Palestine:--Kishon, Kison.

c. swept [1640 * garaph][Strong: a primitive root; to bear off violently:--sweep away.]

d. There is a reference to this in the Psalms.

1). Psalm 83:9, 10 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

a). Rabbinic Commentary, Tehillim, Art Scroll Series, Psalm 83:11: Scripture never mentions this location in connection with any military victory. Therefore, it is unclear whether this was the site of the Jewish victory over Midian or over Sisera (Rashi; Radak).

b). As to where Sisera died, Scripture clearly says Heber’s tent, where Sisera was killed was in the plain of Zaanaim. Bible maps place the plain of Zaanaim north of Endor and just west of the sea of Galilee.

(1). Judges 4:11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

c). The passage in Psalms refers to one or more of the enemies of Israel perishing at Endor. The battles against the Canaanites and the Midianites mentioned in Judges 4-6 both occurred in the same general area. Perhaps since there is no specific mentioning of who died there could it be that the Canaanite Sisera and Jabin and the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb all perished in the area of Endor.    

2. “…that ancient river, the river Kishon…”

a. ancient [6917 * qaduwm][Strong: a pristine hero:--ancient.][AMG, Complete Word Study Dictionary, Old Testament: A masculine noun meaning ancient, age-old. It designates something of great age according to it usage…]

b. river  [5158 * nachal][Strong: from 5157 in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine):--brook, flood, river, stream, valley.]

c. Kishon [7028 * Qiyshown][Strong:  Kishon, a river of Palestine:--Kishon, Kison.]

3. “…O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.”

a. soul [5315 * nephesh][Strong: properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire, X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (X she) will, X would have it.]

b. trodden [1869 * darak][Strong: a primitive root; to tread; by implication, to walk; also to string a bow (by treading on it in bending):--archer, bend, come, draw, go (over), guide, lead (forth), thresh, tread (down), walk.][AMG, Complete Word Study Dictionary, Old Testament: A verb meaning to tread, to bend. It refers to walking on, over, or along or to pressing something with one’s feet, trampling.]

c. strength [5797 * ‘oz][Strong: from 5810; strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise):--boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.]